Better than a Bracha

Posted on March 2, 2016 by Emuna Daily

A father once asked me to give his son a blessing.  Instead, I taught him an important lesson: Teach him to smile! ~ R’ Shlomo Zalman Aurbach zt”l

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The Thought that Counts?

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Emuna Daily

It’s not enough for one’s heart to be in the right place; his hands must be there too. ~ R’ Shraga Silverstein zt”l

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Ahallela – great song

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Emuna Daily

“אהללה אלוקי ואשמחה בו ואשימה תקותי בו אהודנו בסוד עם קרובו אלוקי צורי אחסה בו”

“I shall laud my God and be glad with Him, and place my hope in Him.  I shall praise Him in the counsel of His intimate people.” ~ Piyutim following Torah Reading on Simchas Torah night.

I heard this song at a wedding recently which made a huge impression.  I then found Shea Berko & the Yedidim Choir singing it as part of this youtube video and became obsessed with it.  Listen to 2 minutes of this and it will bring you to new heights – Click here

(Warning:  If you listen to it more than 3 times, you won’t want to stop)

And here is the full version by the original singer Arele Samet which is also great – Click here

 

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Purity of Speech

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Emuna Daily

The awesome sanctity of Torah is an unchanging fact; the greater the purity of one’s speech, the more he is bound up with the light of the Torah he learns. ~ The Chofetz Chaim

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Blink

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Emuna Daily

It is known that Rav Elyashiv answered she’eilah after she’eilah, one by one, without even looking anything up in a sefer.  Everything was literally at his fingertips.

Rav Bentzion Kook once asked the Rav, “How is it possible to remember the entire Torah?  Does it depend on chazrah, on how many times one reviews?”

Rav Elyashiv answered, “That too.” Rav Kook asked, “And what else?”

Rav Elyashiv added, “The Torah has an additional name.  That name is Uf, which means to fly away.”  Rav Elyahsiv then quoted a gemara in Maseches Berachos that says, “Gloss over it with your eye and it will have disappeared.”

One shouldn’t take his eyes off the Torah because if he does, the Torah will fly away from him.  Rav Kook then asked, “What amount of time is considered hesech hada’as, taking one’s mind off the Torah?  Rav Elyashiv blinked his eyes and said “That is already a diversion, hesech hada’as.”

One cannot take his mind off Torah for even a minute.  The way to achieve that is by valuing time, not letting a blink of an eye go by.  ~ The Gadol HaDor

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Go Out and Look for Him

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Emuna Daily

“Hashem looks down from Heaven upon all of mankind to see if there exists an intelligent person who seeks out Hashem.” (Tehillim 53:3).

There are very seemingly intelligent people not looking for Him.

You don’t need to have great intelligence to go out and look for Him, but if you do go out looking for Him, it means you are intelligent.  ~ R’ Ephraim Lever

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Salt

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Emuna Daily

Money can be compared to salt.  In moderation, it improves one’s life, but if a person is consumed with adding and acquiring more and more money, the entire taste of life is ruined! ~ R’ Simcha Bunim of P’shischah zt”l

Posted in Mussar, Parnasah | 1 Comment

Engagement Ring

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Emuna Daily

R’ Avraham Pam compares people conversing in Torah to the newly engaged young woman who shows off her engagement ring to others.  The girl is so excited that she wants to share the tangible evidence of her joy with everybody.

Likewise, one who appreciates the sparkling beauty of the Torah’s wisdom wants everybody else to share in his joy. God remembers these moments of passion and repays man for them. ~ The Pirkei Avos Treasury

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The Most Fortunate Trait in Life

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Emuna Daily

The ability to be satisfied with what we have…is one of the most fortunate traits in life.  It says in Proverbs: “Better is dry bread with contentment, than a house full of sacrifices and strife” (Proverbs 17:1), and in Pirkei Avos: “What is the proper way that a man should follow? Rabbi Elazar said, ‘A good eye.’”  The Bartenura comments: “This refers to someone who is happy with his portion, does not desire needless possessions, and is not jealous when his friend has more than he.”  This truth applies in every area of life; a person should learn to be content with a little, and not have to seek satisfaction from all things, at all times.  These words are especially relevant today.  ~ R’ Yaakov Meir Shechter

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Make the World a Better Place

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Emuna Daily

If we spent less time trying to make this world a better place to live in, and more time trying to make ourselves better persons to live with, the world would be a better place to live in. ~ R’ Shraga Silverstein zt”l

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